When it comes to field guides pertinent to the United States and Canada, while the massive full country editions are often very helpful for study and reference, the breath-taking variety of eco-regions to be found within the continent’s temperate zone renders such volumes often far too large and cumbersome for field use. It’s for this reason that I always look to regional – and even more local when possible – guides as field companions.

Recently, such a guide was brought to my attention: Birds of the Pacific Northwest; A Photographic Guide by Tom Aversa, Richard Cannings, and Hall Opperman. Published in 2016 by The University of Washington Press, this handy guide provides the relevant information for locating, identifying, and understanding a bit about the life histories of just over four hundred bird species to be found in southern British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon. It’s just the right size for those going afield in the region I’ve long been pleased to call home.